Drawing FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a typical prior art structure (e.g. 10) for "gooseneck-type roadway-chassis" adapted to overlyingly removably attach a single cargo-container (e.g. 100 of FIGS. 3A & 3B; 200 of FIG. 3C; etc.).
Such typical "gooseneck-type roadway-chassis" (10) comprises a pair of directionally longitudinally extending parallel rails (11, 12) maintained (e.g. 10C, 10P) in flanking parallel relationship to an intervening vertical-plane (10V). Such parallel rails (11, 12) have a major rearward-length (11A, 12A) rearwardly terminating at chassis rear-end 13, and a minor and elevated "gooseneck" forward-length (11B, 12B) forwardly terminating at chassis front-end 14 and having thereat a directionally transversely extending horizontal structural member 15. Reference character 10C refers to a horizontal connector between members 11B and 12B and centrally-provided along vertical-plane 10V with a location 10D to accommodate a towing-tractor "5th-wheel-pin coupler" (traditional, and not shown). Reference character 10B refers to rails-depending journal means for a horizontal axle (10A) for chassis wheels (10W) that are conventionally downwardly-impingeable upon a horizontal roadway-substrate (9). Reference characters 10E and 10F refer gooseneck-depending (e.g. from 11B and 12B), and upwardly-retractable conventional frontal-props that are selectively downwardly impingeable upon a such underlying substrate (9).
Internally within front-end connector member 15, and flanking vertical-plane 10V, are directionally longitudinally movable pins (15A, 15B) to removably securely accommodate corner-castings (99) frontal horizontal-holes (107A, 107B, respectively) of an overlyable extended-overall-length (EOL) cargo-container (e.g. 100 of FIGS. 3A and 3B) having an underlying longitudinal partial-tunnel-like channel (108).
And in the foregoing regard, the reader's attention is called to prior art drawing FIGS. 3A and 3B for typical prior art cargo-container (100) of extended overall-length (EOL) and of finite-height (FH), and also to prior art drawing FIG. 3C for typical prior art cargo-container (200) of "half-overall-length" (HOL) and of arrested-height (AFH) and wherein:
A such conventional extended-overall-length (EOL) and generous finite-height (FH) prior art cargo-container (100) comprises: horizontal and opposed upper-panel 101 and lower-panel 102; upright sideward panels (103, 104) connecting panels 101 and 102; upright rear-panel 105 and upright front-panel 106 (together connecting panels 101, 102, 103, and 104). Located at the four-corners of lower-panel 102 are such corner-castings 99 (as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,787 and 4,459,072 for twistlocks 13M herein), and respectively provided at front-panel 106 with such horizontal-holes 107A and 107B. Lowerpanel 102 along vertical-plane 10V, commencing from front-panel 106, is provided with a partial-tunnel channel 108 for downwardly flankingly embracing "gooseneck" frontal-rails portion (11B, 12B). But for a conventional halfwise-extended-length (HOL) and normally of less than 20-feet-length, and of arrested-height AFH, prior art cargo-container 200 generally comprises: horizontal and opposed upper-panel 201 and lower-panel 202; upright sideward panels (203, 204) connecting panels 201 and 202; and upright rear-panel 205 and upright front-panel (connecting panels 201-204). Located at the four-corners of lower-panel 202 are such aforedescribed corner-castings (99).
And with further regard to the prior art mentioned in the immediately preceeding paragraphs: the such prior art chassis (10) and atop rails' rearward-lengths 11A and 12A further comprises there atop a plurality of attached, directionally transversely extending, and longitudinally consecutively-spaced bolsters (13) including: a rearwardmost bolster 13A, a forwardmost bolster 13E, and longitudinally consecutively therebetween intermediate bolsters 13B-13D. Each of the said bolsters 13, in outwardly flanking relationship to said rails' parallel rearward-lengths 11A and 11B, is conventionally provided theratop with such conventional twistlocks 13M alluded to hereabove.
Accordingly, in view of the disclosures made in the five immediately preceding paragraphs, and in further regard to prior art drawing FIG. 1, and in further regard to the removably attached (13M, 99, 15, and 107) phantom-lines) for such overlying cargo-containers (100, 200):
Every such extended-overall-length cargo-container (100) conventionally at such corner-castings frontal horizontal-holes (107) is removably attached with such horizontally-reciprocatable attachment-pins (15), and has its underlying partial-tunnel channel (108) downwardly flanking rails' elevated "gooseneck" forward-length 11B-12B (whereby such cargo-container height FH meets highway Regulations; and every such extended-overall-length (EOL) cargo-container has its rear-panel (105) corner-castings (99) appropriately removably connected to bolster twistlocks (13M). In the latter regard: 105A might refer to a rear-panel of a 44-feet-length cargo-container at rearward-most bolster 13A; 105B might refer to a rear-panel of a 42-feet-length cargo-container (100) at bolster 13B; and 105C might refer to the rear-panel of a 40-feet-length cargo-container attached at bolster 13C; and also in the latter regard a such abbreviated-overall-length cargo-container (200), and which traditionally lacks a such underlying partial-tunnel channel (108): conventionally has its front-end (206) and its rear-end (205) lower-corner-castings (99) removably relegatably attached to the twistlocks (13M) on bolsters 13D and 13E which are traditionally relegated to the chassis rails' rearward-lengths (11A, 12A).
Thus, it will be appreciated from the foregoing description of the prior art, that such "gooseneck-type roadway-chassis" (e.g. 10) of the prior art are deficient in that, though their overall longitudinal-length (13-14) might theoretically accommodate therealong, two half-length cargo-containers (200), the prior art makes no structural provision to do so and within the heightwise (e.g. AFH at goosenecked rails 11B & 12B) requirements of Governmental Highway Regulations.